With a pinch of salt?

1a1a

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

This calculator reckons, that with exercise 3 times a week, my maintenance calories are around 1900, weight loss around 1500 and extreme weight loss at 1200.

If this is the case, why did mfp restrict my calories to 1200? I'm pretty hungry today having not done any exercise and hence having to hover around the 1200 mark, I'd love to eat some more, in fact, I'd love mfp to suggest a maintenance weight to me but can't seem to find any tools that do that (ergo, the google search and resultant site).

What are people's thoughts? What's the best way to determine maintenance and weight loss calories?

kr3851

Go to where you set your goals, and change the weight loss per week to maintain. that will give you your maintenance calories.

radicalreader

Go to the tab that says MY HOME
Go to the subtab Goals
Scroll down and click the green tab Change Goals
Choose Guidede
Scroll down to "What is your goal?"
Change to maintenance

iwillsoonbeslim

MPF hasn't restricted you, you've chosen to restrict yourself, based on it's suggestion.
As mentioned, it's easy to change your goals to a zero loss per week.
Well done for reaching your ideal weight

1a1a

Hmm, found it, switched to maintenance. Now I know I need to have 500 calories left over at the end of the day to lose at a slow and steady pace, and I'll know if I'm eating so much I'll start gaining again. I wonder if conceptualizing it this way will work better...

I wish I'd reached my ideal weight ha ha, cheers none the less.

maidentl

Why wouldn't you just change it to the loss you want rather than maintenance and have to leave calories? :huh:

1a1a

The thought did cross my mind, at the end of the day, I'm not fussed how much I lose, or how long it takes as long as I do lose (I'm at 70 and had told mfp I wanted to be down to 65 losing at the arbitrary rate of 1 pound a week). Being hungry all the time on 1200 is kinda demotivating (....days when I exercise aren't so much of a problem. Legs were begging for a rest today though).

Feeling like I can eat an entire extra meal without too much detriment when I know I'll be up for hours yet, perks me up a bit though, maybe enough to stick with the food logging and exercise :-). Mfp says maintenance for a sedentary person who does no exercise ...the worst case scenario, is around 1700.

That's the hypothetical angle anyway, time will tell if it works for me or not.

iwillsoonbeslim

lol I'm totally confused, but it sounds like you know what works for you :)x

radicalreader

The thought did cross my mind, at the end of the day, I'm not fussed how much I lose, or how long it takes as long as I do lose (I'm at 70 and had told mfp I wanted to be down to 65 losing at the arbitrary rate of 1 pound a week). Being hungry all the time on 1200 is kinda demotivating (....days when I exercise aren't so much of a problem. Legs were begging for a rest today though).

Feeling like I can eat an entire extra meal without too much detriment when I know I'll be up for hours yet, perks me up a bit though, maybe enough to stick with the food logging and exercise :-). Mfp says maintenance for a sedentary person who does no exercise ...the worst case scenario, is around 1700.

That's the hypothetical angle anyway, time will tell if it works for me or not.

I am of the same mindset. For me (total slug), MFP estimates that I burn about 1600 from normal activity and would lose 1/2 pound per week at 1320. Depending on how hungry/busy/social I am on any given day, I will end somewhere in the window between 1200 and 1600. I am at an okay weight for me. I'd like to slim down a little more, but I am more interested in making sure that I can sustain a permanent lifestyle change. If I continue to lose slowly, then so be it. If not, then I can live with these food choices and I know I won't gain.